Has anybody else tried this or am I alone?

[stehno]

For years I've prided myself with having a playback system with perhaps the best dynamics I've yet encountered. Now I also listen in the 92db - 105db range so that certainly helps.

Over the years I've owned many pre-amps ranging from $600 to $10k. Twice I had owned a Placette active line stage which had little or no amplified gain stage and though I found it a bit more musical, the dynamics suffered and I swore long ago, I'd never go to a passive pre.

About 6 years ago, I swapped out my 185wpc int. amp for a pair of 575wpc mono-block amps and having sold my pre-amp long before, my only option was to temporarily use my source's passive volume attenuator.

I'll skip the details but in summation and among other things, my dynamics are better and more natural soundig than ever before and I've since sworn to never go back to an amplified gain stage.

I know many have tried going the passive pre-amp route and some stay there while others go back.

But I've yet to hear of anybody going to a passive pre while simultaneously doubling or tripling their amp's power output.

Has anybody else tried this or am I alone? If you have, I'd love to hear what you noticed.

 

[analogsa]

The success of a passive pre depends on a myriad of factors, some known and understood such as input impedance and others being a lot more obscure. I find it next to impossible to make general statements about this, it is too equipment specific.

The one thing I am certain about is that at least 80% of all active preamps sound really bad A disproportionate number compared to any other equipment.

 

[Kingrex]

I have tried both. Oddly I use to run my Airtight preamp wide open and used a passive to set the volume. Who knows why that worked
I went through 3 preamps and did not like any. Then Emmanuel Go with First Sound brought his unit to my house. I bought it and never looked back.

 

[Boomer Bill]

As long as your power amp has enough sensitivity to play as loud as you need it to with just the output from your DAC, tuner, phono pre-amp, or other signal source, you don't need more electronics to mess up the sound. Less is better. (You get the best sound when you buy a ticket and go hear live music, but the virus has made that dangerous.) You can get passive tone controls if you need them. You may need something to switch sources, but it's just a switch. You could use a passive mixer and just turn up the source you want to listen to. Circuits are simple and easy to build. I'm a DIY kind of guy and can help you with circuitry if you like. My best and "diagnostic" system (I have 5 in the house) uses a passive switcher/volume controller I built years ago and still works fine. Each channel has its own volume control so that you can have a "balance" function. It has "tape in and out" and could easily have a subwoofer amp out if you wanted; it only needs two resistors and a phono jack out to do the job. Contact me if you like.

 

[stehno]

As long as your power amp has enough sensitivity to play as loud as you need it to with just the output from your DAC, tuner, phono pre-amp, or other signal source, you don't need more electronics to mess up the sound. Less is better. (You get the best sound when you buy a ticket and go hear live music, but the virus has made that dangerous.) You can get passive tone controls if you need them. You may need something to switch sources, but it's just a switch. You could use a passive mixer and just turn up the source you want to listen to. Circuits are simple and easy to build. I'm a DIY kind of guy and can help you with circuitry if you like. My best and "diagnostic" system (I have 5 in the house) uses a passive switcher/volume controller I built years ago and still works fine. Each channel has its own volume control so that you can have a "balance" function. It has "tape in and out" and could easily have a subwoofer amp out if you wanted; it only needs two resistors and a phono jack out to do the job. Contact me if you like.

You have need for balance controls? Just kiddin. Nice post and yes less nearly always translates to more perhaps in most any performance-oriented industry. Like the man said, "you won't find any U-Haul trailers behind a top fuel dragster."

 

[BruceD]

Like the man said, "you won't find any U-Haul trailers behind a top fuel dragster."

Yep and-- "you won't see Armourguard following a Hearse "

Oh sorry--yes the the thread subject--Passive here dual mono stepped attenuators--Transparency much to my liking!

BruceD